


Goodbye

by Anjelle



Category: One Piece
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, Terminal Illnesses
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-26
Updated: 2014-09-26
Packaged: 2018-02-18 20:34:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,497
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2361326
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anjelle/pseuds/Anjelle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ace must watch as what's most precious to him begins to vanish.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Goodbye

_"Luffy! Oi, Lu!" Ace shouted, searching for his young companion. He scoured through the woods, running at a pace that made everything into a blur of greenery. He slapped away branches and leaves, leapt over rocks, never breaking his pace until a quiet, muffled sound echoed through his ears—sobbing. Immediately he came to a halt. He slowly, silently made his way towards the noise until he found a large stream. And there he was._

_The sun was setting, meaning he'd been searching for well over two hours. He was out of breath, tired and worn, but the ten-year-old needed him. He approached, eyes soft and knowing. Before he could speak the boy beat him to it. His voice was youthful, small and broken._

_"Ace…"_

_Luffy was curled up into a fetal position. His arms wrapped around his legs and his knees hid his face from view. He sniffled, fingering the straw hat in one of his hands._

_"What is it, Lu?" Ace tried to keep his voice even and soothing as he approached, kneeling down next to his brother. He watched the sky's golden lights reflect onto the stream and dared not face the younger, knowing just how pained his expression would be if he did._

_"…Am I going to die?"_

_The older felt his blood run dry as he froze, his world temporarily deafened by those words. He swallowed heavily and his breath hitched, trying to find the right words. What could he say? Instead of a reply, he reached out and pulled his brother to his side, wrapping him in a comforting embrace. The other was trembling in his grasp, trying to stop the tears from staining his face. His skin was absolutely pallid as he shook, nerves shot from the day's events._

_"Not yet," Ace said simply, running his fingers through Luffy's black strands. He rested his cheek on the side of the boy's head. "Not yet."_

_"I-I… I won't—" the boy started, trying to voice words that lodged within his throat. Never before had that bundle of energy been so shaken. "—I can't keep my… my promise to Shanks."_

_"You can."_

_"I can't!" Silence rang through them after that. Ace clenched his teeth to stop his face from contorting. He didn't want his brother to see how much those words stabbed at him, knowing that they were most likely right. "I can't…" His voice faded into a jumble of sobs and whimpers. Ace wrapped him tighter in the embrace, turning to allow his only family member to cry into his chest, not knowing what else to do. The wailing continued into the early hours of the night._

* * *

"Oi, Luffy, I'm coming in," Ace stated, sliding the door open with his foot as his hands were filled with flowers, wrapped packages and cards. It made him think it was his brother's birthday with how many gifts he was getting. He smiled at knowing how many people cared for the teen.

Luffy was staring out the window, watching the rest of the town's happenings from where he sat. At the sound of his brother's voice he turned with an excited grin. "Ace!" As soon as the older got close enough, he wrapped his arms around him tightly, almost making him fall over.

"Oi, oi! You're going to make me drop everything," Ace stated as he attempted to keep his balance. Luffy blinked.

"What are those?"

"Gifts from your friends." He placed them gently at the end of the bed before picking up one at random and handing it to the boy. "This is from Makino." Luffy took a deep, inward breath to sniff the covered package. He always loved her cooking. Before he had a chance to open it and eat, however, his brother gently hit his hand away and removed it from his grasp, leaving him to pout. "No—we have to ask the nurse before you can eat it."

"But Ace—"

"No means no."

"No fair…"

"Don't be like that, Lu. It's not like I'm being mean because I wanna be."

The teen let out a heavy, dramatic sigh. "…I know."

"Besides, there's more here. This one's from—"

"Ace," Luffy started, trying to get his big brother's attention. Their eyes met and his smile returned, watching the older with sincerity. "Sorry."

Ace blinked and straightened himself out, placing the flowers back on the bed. He took his seat next to his sibling and stared at Luffy questioningly. "For what?"

"You would have started your journey if wasn't for me…" As soon as those words left his mouth he felt a pulsating pain on the back of his skull. He instinctively raised his hand to the area Ace had punched him. "Ouch!"

"Idiot," he started, brow twitching in annoyance. Luffy looked at him with confusion. "I'm here because I wanna be." Luffy's smile broadened into an impossible grin and he tackled his brother once more, wrapping his arms tightly around his chest.

"Thanks, Ace. Shishishi!"

"We're brothers; we have to stay together, no matter what." He stroked the younger's hair and rubbed his back, a familiar sadness shining in his eyes. How long would this last?

Suddenly he heard his little brother's breathing hitch. His eyes widened as the trembling form in his arms started gasping for air. "…Luffy?" The boy's grip on his brother loosened and fell limp. "Nurse! Oi, nurse!" he cried, pulling his brother back onto the bed to get a better look. Three women in light blue attire rushed to the patient's side and shoved Ace away. He stood at a distance, watching in horror as they tried to get his brother to breathe.

_Please no. Please. No no no no no._

* * *

Ace sat in his usual chair at the end of the hospital bed, head resting on closed fists. He hated when his brother had fits—couldn't stand to see him so scared. Couldn't stand to  _be_  scared. He could face a thousand enemies unarmed but every time his brother had an attack he couldn't help but break down. Luffy never saw him, though. He never let him. He would let all of his emotions out while his brother was unconscious, which normally lasted several hours. It was all the time he needed to compose himself.

He looked out the window and noticed the pitch-blackness of the sky, then turned to his younger sibling. The disease had done a number on him over the last seven years. His skin was pallid and lifeless. He was thinner by a lot, possibly a result of the diet the doctor kept him on. The darkness around his eyes was growing. His flame was slowly flickering out and there was nothing he could do to help. It didn't matter how strong or smart he was. It didn't matter that his brother was his world. It didn't matter because, no matter what, he couldn't stop a disease labeled 'terminal'. He was helpless.

_Luffy, please hold on. I can't lose you, too._

"Dammit," he cussed, gripping his hands together tightly as he held back his urge to yell out his frustration.

"…Ace?" a small voice asked, coughing immediately afterwards. The man's head shot up, looking straight at his brother's face. His eyes were barely open, their usual vibrancy muddled into a dull brown. He stared at the ceiling, making no move to shift.

"It's me, Luffy." He clasped onto the small, boney hand resting on the bed, trying to stop the shaking in his voice. He didn't need the boy to know how scared he was. "I'm here."

Luffy nodded slightly and slowly turned his head towards his brother. "What's wrong?" he asked, voice weak from earlier. He didn't pay it any mind, though; he was used to it.

"You just had a fit earlier—nothing to worry about."

"Oh." There was a pause. Luffy gripped Ace's hand weakly in his own, feeling the warmth of the other's skin. "I'll be seventeen next month, you know."

Ace squeezed his brother tighter, gritting his teeth. "I know." He knew. How could he forget? They made a promise to Sabo to set sail when they each reached seventeen. Ace broke his promise and Luffy couldn't keep his—not in his condition. He felt bad about it but was sure his brother would understand. Luffy was more important to him than being a pirate. He was more important than all the treasure in the world, because Luffy was the only family he had left.

"I wonder if Sabo will be angry." Though his voice was calm his smile held a guilt Ace had become far too accustomed to.

"He won't. He'll understand."

"…Yeah." He closed his eyes and smiled a little more, remembering the blonde from his childhood. Then it faded just a little and he opened his eyes to look back towards the ceiling. "The doctor said I don't have long."

"Don't listen to him—you'll be okay."

Luffy shook his head. "I'm tired, Ace. But I don't want to die."

"You're not going to—"

"It's okay. I'm not scared." He coughed a little and he looked straight into his eyes. His smiled brightened. "You'll stay with me until the end, right?"

Ace's eyes widened. He hated that his little brother had resigned himself to his fate. He hated that he was ready to die. Screw that! But, he couldn't bring himself to say it—because, for the first time in a long while, Luffy looked happy. And it hurt to see. "…Yeah. I won't leave you."

"Thanks, big brother."

He faked a smile as best he could, ghosting over the teen's forehead. "Don't mention it, Lu."

He hated all that talk about him dying. Luffy was all he had. If he were to die, Ace would be alone just like he was before he met his brothers. He'd rather give up on all of his dreams, all of his aspirations, than lose another brother. It was selfish, he knew, but he couldn't help himself. Before Luffy and Sabo he hated himself. He was the son of a demon. But then they came. They changed him. And now his precious little brother was suffering and he could do nothing but watch.

"…When I die," Luffy started, taking a deep breath.

"Lu, I don't want to—"

" _When I die_ ," he repeated, "don't be sad, okay?"

* * *

"We use to fight a lot, huh?" Ace asked, flipping through the photos he brought with him. Luffy asked him to bring them and he didn't ask why.

"Shishishi, yeah!" He grabbed a picture from his brother's hand and held it up close to his eyes, smiling at it fondly. In it Ace was chasing him. He had something in his hands—presumably his brother's dinner—and he was running almost out of the frame. Sabo was sitting with his bowl in his lap, laughing at the two. "It's 'cause you were so mean." He stuck out his tongue cheekily.

"No, it's because  _you_  kept trying to steal my food."

"Shishishi!" He handed the photo back to his sibling, who gave it a quick once-over with a smile.

"But you know," he began, flipping through the rest of the pictures he brought with him, "I'm happy I have those memories. They mean a lot to me, Lu."

Luffy nodded merrily and watched the images in his brother's hand flash by, remembering when each and every one was taken. "Me too!" Ace's hands lowered and they looked at each other. "Did you bring it?"

"Yep, got it right here." Ace bent over and looked into his green and black bag. He shuffled a few things around before his hands emerged with a camera. He aimed it at the teen.

"I want you in it, too!" Luffy stated, drawing him nearer. The older sighed and adjusted himself so that he was in the frame. Then they both smiled as he pressed the button.

* * *

"Damn it," Ace whispered, head in his hands as he sat in the waiting room, clenching his eyes tightly. He was fine just that morning. He was  _fine_ —laughing and eating and jumping around like a moron. And now he wasn't. And he was scared.  _Ace_ was scared. It never took this long to get through one of his fits.

Makino rushed into the room and searched around frantically. She spotted Ace, who was hunched over in an attempt to calm himself, and thrust her arms around him. He jolted a bit and snapped out of his focus, looking up at the familiar woman. His eyes met her dark strands and he settled, allowing his muscles to relax.

"How is he?" she questioned, breaking their hug. Her brow was curved in worry and concern, mouth quibbling when she saw the broken look he was giving her.

"I-I don't…" Unable to face her, he looked down at the floor. "They haven't come out yet. H-he was fine…"

"I know," she soothed, rubbing her hand across his back.

They sat there for what felt like an eternity. It could have been minutes or it could have been hours—they didn't know. Their thoughts were with the young teen, which they weren't allowed to see. Then, eventually, the doctor approached. He was sweating but calm as he stopped in from of them, clip board in hand. Ace jumped from his seat.

"Is he alright?" he asked in a desperate plea, begging for a positive response. Anything—give him just  _one sign_  that his brother was going to be alright.

"He's resting." The two exhaled, relieved with that answer. The doctor sighed. "However, I think you should prepare for the worst."

* * *

"You should rest," he stated, gently pushing his brother back down onto the mattress, eliciting a pout and eye-roll from the younger. He sighed at how stubborn Luffy could be. He never listened. Well, he couldn't really blame him—he wouldn't listen, either, if he was being told not to move all day. But it was for his own good. It was for his health.

"I wanna go for a walk," Luffy announced, looking at his brother with puppy-dog eyes. Ace just groaned.

"You can do that when you start feeling better, alright?"

"…But I'm not going to get better." Ace stopped breathing, his hands flinching away from the boy. He froze, eyes wide, as he tried to sweep those words from his mind. "I'm not going to get another chance.  _Please_."

"Luffy… I-I can't. You're only going to get worse if you do."

"Today's my birthday," he declared, voice in a low whisper.

"…I know." Both hung their heads low. Ace wanted to let him go out—he wanted to so badly it hurt—but the doctor's warning scared him. He said that Luffy was far into the final stage of the illness. He could go at any time. That thought was too much. Too heavy.

"I want to see the ocean."

Ace gritted his teeth. It was a simple request but carried with it the weight of the boy's entire life. He couldn't keep his promise to Sabo. He couldn't keep his promise to Shanks. All he wanted was to look out onto the horizon on the day he was supposed to set sail. This was supposed to be the greatest day of his life. But that  _damned_  illness wouldn't let him go. It caged him to his bed, making him a prisoner of his own body. He didn't even have the strength to walk and yet, still, he wanted to go. That's all he asked.

"I won't be here next year. I just… I don't want to die here. It's cold. And lonely."

"Luffy, don't—"

"I just want one more memory. I want to see it before I die. Please, Ace.  _Please_."

"Lu…"

* * *

They arrived at the shoreline in the early hours of sunset. Ace rolled the wheelchair along the sand and stopped when they were close to the water. Luffy smiled. He smiled brighter than he had in months, because this is what he wanted. This is what he dreamed of for ten years, even after all that happened to him. This was his goal, so near and yet unobtainable. But he was satisfied.

A breeze blew past them, flowing through their forms and causing Luffy to close his eyes. "Feels nice."

"Yeah."

"We used to play here a lot."

"Only you kept almost drowning."

"Shishishi!" He let out a few coughs and immediately Ace was kneeling by his side, worry clear on his face. Luffy brushed him aside with his usual smile. "I'm fine."

"You sure?"

"…It's hard."

"Hm?"

"To keep going like this. It hurts."

"Luffy…"

"I don't want to die." Ace felt his heart break with those words. He fought back tears, trying to appear strong. His brother was worse off than he was—he should be the one crying.

"Even if it's hard, I wanna keep breathing. I want to see Shanks again. And I wanna go on adventures!" He laughed a little, imagining all of the things he could experience if he was able to become the pirate he always dreamed of being. It would be so much fun, out there on the waves. There would be danger and excitement. He would meet a lot of different people and have them join his crew. And then they would go to the Grand Line and search for One Piece! He and Ace would see each other again, only they would be rivals. But even then, fighting against each other, they would always be brothers. "But it's not so bad, you know? I mean look—it's so amazing!" He gestured to the water before them, eyes shining with more life than they'd had in a long time. Suddenly he was that seven-year-old boy again, with dreams bigger than the world could handle.

"Luffy…"

"I'm glad you brought me!"

"Don't…" Ace fought back sobs. He knew what his little brother was trying to say and he hated it. "Please don't leave, Lu. I don't want to be alone again. You're my one and only little brother… I don't want to lose you." It was becoming a challenge to keep his voice steady.

"You won't be!" Luffy smiled out onto the watch, watching the tide roll in and out. He knew Ace would be fine. After all, Ace was his big brother—he could do  _anything_. Even if he was sad because of this, he would be strong and carry on. And he would finally be free to go out into the world. "You'll have a crew—a really awesome crew! And they'll be really strong and fun and you'll get to have parties with them every day and—" He gasped and fell into a coughing fit, one that turned his throat raw and bloody.

"Luffy!" Ace shouted, moving to kneel down. He was motioned away, just like before. And he complied, begrudgingly. His brother's voice was raspy and hoarse. Weak.

"And you'll be happy."

"Lu…"

"Just… Can you give Shanks his hat back for me? That way I can keep my promise." His sight was fading. His hearing was muffled and he couldn't quite focus on any one sound, at least not until he heard his brother speak.

"...Yeah, o-of course." Ace was trembling, wrought with sadness and resignation.

"Thank you, Ace." He paused. His vision was going dark and his strength left him. He was so tired. So so  _so_ tired. "…For  _everything_."

He fell silent.

"Lu…?"

Nothing.

* * *

"Shanks said to keep his hat. Sorry, Lu." Ace placed the object gently on the marker, smiling down at it. He laughed a little to himself, imagining how his brother would react to that. He'd probably pout. "He said you earned it."

He lowered himself and sat cross-legged in front of the grave and pulled something from his shorts pocket. It was a picture—one of him and Luffy in the hospital. It wasn't until he was gone that he realized why he wanted him to bring the camera that day. And the photos. "I hate to admit it but you were right. I have a family now. They're great—a little strange, but a lot of fun."

Ace fingered the bent edge of the image, watching his brother's grin. He smiled.

"It's hard sometimes, but I'll manage. I still have the memories. So long as I have those, you're not really gone."

He sat in silence, looking around. Luffy was buried at the cliff they used to visit as kids—a place where he could always see the ocean. It was one of the best places on the island and Ace loved visiting the grave. The view was nostalgic. However, he couldn't spend all day watching it. He had to keep going. Sighing, he rose to his feet.

"Sorry, Lu. Gotta go. Just came to drop that off. Marco's waiting for me." He turned on his heel and adjusted his hat. "See you later, you stupid little brother."

 


End file.
